bonus points if you send a pic of what you’re wearing
I extended my arm and took a frowny selfie in my lab coat.
My phone rang with his incoming call.
I expected him to be upset, since this would have been our first social outing as a . . . what were we? A reunited friend pair who planned on doing orgasmic things?
But instead his voice was just concerned. “You get stuck at work?”
“Yes. I’m so sorry. I hoped I’d be done by now, but I’m trying to send this back tomorrow and my boss has a familyso she left an hour ago and I just feel so bad because I really thought I could come with you?—”
“Violet,” Colton said in his sweet voice. “You’re fine.”
I pouted. “I’d rather be going with you.”
“Will you be done anytime soon? I don’t mind going a little late.”
I looked at my surroundings. Papers with half-baked calculations on them littered my work surface. “I don’t think so. I have to get these figured out tonight.” My boss had offered to come back after her kids went to bed, but I hoped it didn’t come to that. “Go on and have some fun without me.”
Colt whined, a sympathetic little sound. “I wish you could come.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“No, not to make you feel guilty. I just know it’ll be fun and I feel like you need it.”
My cheeks flashed hot. Colton was still very much himself: wanting the world to have as much fun as he did. “I’ll be okay.”
“How are you, really?”
I snorted. “Pissed. Tired. Weak. Fucking hungry. What time is it? I didn’t have lunch.”
“You didn’t have lunch?!” Colton blustered.
“I’ve got a granola bar. I just need to take a minute to eat it.”
“Eat it right now.”
“I don’t want to talk with my mouth full,” I objected.
“Violet. I don’t care. Feed yourself.”
I loved stern Colton. It was a rare treat. My stomach flip-flopped, because there have been times when that voice sent me over the edge in a good way, and other times when it made me run.
Context is everything.
But I pushed the harsh memories down, and focused on theway my face got hot when he talked to me that way. “I like that voice.”
He cleared his throat and spoke again, deeper this time. “Eat, Violet.”
“Okay,” I said, sweeping my hair behind my ears without realizing it. “You sound like Mr. Billionaire Boss.”
The line went quiet. “Is that all you have to eat?”
“For now, yeah. I’ll just grab something whenever I get out of here.”
“Violet.”
“What? I’ll be fine. These are actually super filling.”
